Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), released the following statement to announce an increased U.S. commitment to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today broke ground on a state-of-the-art greenhouse that will play a key role in helping scientists combat a growing global disease threat to the world's wheat and barley supplies. The 2,880-square-foot greenhouse will be operated by scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah begins his visit to London by representing the United States Government at the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI Alliance) donor pledging conference. The GAVI Alliance is a public-private global health partnership, created in 2000 to save children's lives and protect people's health by increasing access to immunization in the world's poorest countries.

The United States announced today that it is committing $12 million for aflatoxin control in Africa. The announcement was made during the tenth annual Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Lusaka, Zambia. The funds will support the objective of the African-led Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA).

The United States announced an additional commitment of up to $30 million per year for four years, subject to availability of funds, to boost trade capacity in Africa. United States Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, made the announcement during the opening session of the Tenth African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum today in Lusaka, Zambia.

This week, delegates from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will join the tenth annual forum of the African Growth and Opportunity Act in Lusaka, Zambia. Known as “AGOA”, the forum is the centerpiece of U.S. trade policy with sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Julie Howard, Deputy Coordinator for Development for the U.S. Government's Feed the Future initiative, which is led by USAID, will lead the USAID delegation. USAID's Ricardo Michel, a senior economic growth and trade advisor, will also represent USAID at the forum.

Earlier today, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee released a report on aid to Afghanistan. The report is a useful contribution to the ongoing review of our national efforts in Afghanistan. We agree that "cutting back our foreign aid budgets is not the most prudent solution," and that USAID and the State Department must have the resources necessary to ensure an effective transition as the military draws down.

Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), released the following statement regarding commitments received from vaccine manufacturers to reduce the prices of life-saving vaccines.

WASHINGTON D.C. – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced that it will work with IBM (NYSE: IBM) and CDC Development Solutions to increase the number of employee volunteers at U.S.-based corporations by providing meaningful assistance to local governments, small businesses, and civic groups in emerging markets abroad.

Washington, D.C.— Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development, submitted a call to the global community for innovative prevention and treatment approaches that will benefit pregnant women and newborns in rural, low resource settings around the time of birth. The request resulted in one of the largest pools of applicants ever for a USAID competition.

PARIS, France - Yesterday, Administrator Shah joined Secretary Clinton for the second day of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Meeting of the Council at Ministerial Level in Paris, France. At the session "New Paradigm for Development", chaired by Secretary Clinton, Administrator Shah provided brief remarks.

Deauville, France – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), working with the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) to cooperate with Russia on energy efficiency and smart grids, is supporting efforts to share experience and best practices among U.S. and Russian municipalities and utilities. This month, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in San Diego and Belgorod, Russia, building on an earlier exchange involving utilities and regulators in Texas and federal and utility officials in Kaluga, Russia.

Deauville, France- At the G8 Summit in Deauville, Presidents Obama and Medvedev recognized the collaborative efforts already underway between the United States and Russia to eradicate polio globally, and pledged to continue that cooperative until the eradication objective is finally achieved.

WASHINGTON, DC - Today USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah charted the course forward to address the global food security challenge. As a keynote speaker at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs Symposium, Administrator Shah highlighted progress made over the past year through Feed the Future, the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Earlier this morning, USAID's Special Assistant to the Middle East, George Laudato, Former USAID Administrator, Peter McPherson, and Egypt Embassy Counselor, Motaz Zahran, joined more than 100 members of the diaspora and global health communities to launch USAID Egypt's Health and Population Legacy Report.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - USAID Administrator Dr. Raj Shah and MIT economist Dr. Esther Duflo will lead USAID's 2011 development forum on May 23. Entitled Radically Rethinking Global Poverty, the forum will provide an opportunity for USAID staff and leading experts and practitioners from outside the Agency to discuss international development issues.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On May 24th, USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah will deliver keynote remarks during a full-day symposium on global agriculture and food security organized by the Global Agricultural Development Initiative of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Dr. Shah's speech, "The True Yields of Food Security" will address the first year of progress of the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future, and chart the course forward by announcing new partnerships and defining priorities.

Carey N. Gordon was sworn in yesterday as the first United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Representative to the Kyrgyz Republic. The oath was administered by USAID Assistant Administrator for the Asia Bureau, Nisha Desai Biswal.

Frederic "Rick" Scott was recently sworn in as the new U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director to Timor-Leste. Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant Administrator for USAID's Asia Bureau, administered the oath of office at the swearing-in ceremony.